We use an Explicit Systematic Synthetic Phonics approach.
What is Synthetic Phonics?
From Reception, we use synthetic phonics to teach children to read quickly and skillfully. Children are taught how to:
- Recognise letters with letter sounds, rather than names, for quicker decoding, (eg, /rrrrr/ instead of “ar” for the letter <r>)
- Form letters correctly in a way that can prevent letter confusions ( such as with b and d),
- Recognise sounds by encoding (writing) them,
- Blend sounds in order to make words,
- Segment (spell) words by listening to letter sounds, rather than memorisation, and
- Learn to read and spell common exception words (tricky words).
This is supplemented by extensive application through the reading of decodable phonic books, and applying phonic knowledge in meaningful and purposeful writing. Children are not asked to guess what the words are based on the pictures on the page or by fitting in an ‘appropriate’ word. Phonics is taught directly and children are expected to master the skills above for a solid foundation in reading and writing.
Letter and Sounds
We use the programme Letters and Sounds, supplemented by Jolly Phonics and Read Write Inc.
There are 44 sounds in the English language and these are taught systematically in Reception. Children learn alternative spellings of these sounds in Year One. As English has an opaque and complex spelling system, spelling is covered throughout primary school.